


When The Sea Called Me Home

by childofmalin



Series: When The Sea Called Us Home [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 1940s, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Feelings Realization, Fluff and Angst, Lee Jeno is Whipped, Lighthouses, M/M, Not Beta Read, and confused, jeno is a lighthouse keeper, no smut but there's some sensual touching, renjun is a merman/siren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 03:27:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29271717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/childofmalin/pseuds/childofmalin
Summary: Jeno is a lonely lighthouse keeper. Until he has to take care of a badly wounded stranger from the sea.It feels powerful to stand here and look into the dark green nothingness of only water, mighty yet frightening. Though Jeno has never been frightened of the sea. He was born and raised with waves clashing at his feet. With boats and nets in the untamed water.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno
Series: When The Sea Called Us Home [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2152599
Comments: 19
Kudos: 98





	When The Sea Called Me Home

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to make this as historically accurate as possible and I spent hours doing research, hope you enjoy!!
> 
> Disclaimer: The characters I used in the stories are ONLY inspired by the real owners of the names. I don't want to make ANYONE uncomfortable. Also, my intention is not to ship these people in real life or to assume their sexuality. Please keep that in mind!

_“...as we watch our men fall. When will this war end, we can only pray for the dead and the men that fight still. May God have mercy with us all”_

He turns the radio off. He can't stand the noise now. Memories of the fallen, the dead and the fighting. He doesn't want to think about them. 

The smoke of his cigarette itches in his throat. 

The clock says it's time. 

With a deep breath he squishes the still fueling cigarette end into his ashtray and leaves. It's cold outside. A breeze of salt and seaweed hits his face as he steps onto the big, black rocks. The sea is hitting waves against them, breaking as they come in contact with the stone.

It feels powerful to stand here and look into the dark green nothingness of only water, mighty yet frightening. Though Jeno has never been frightened of the sea. He was born and raised with waves clashing at his feet. With boats and nets in the untamed water. 

The lighthouse seems so small in comparison to everything else here. But Jeno doesn't wait longer now. He goes up the metal stairs and enables the light for men out there to see. Tonight will be stormy again. The water will get wilder, will drive its waves against the lighthouse angrily. 

He can't sleep that night. The sea is roaring and so is the storm. He hears the rain against the windows, the wind pressing against them. The storm hasn't been this bad in a while. 

Everytime Jeno closes his eyes, he sees the war in front of his eyes. Everytime a wave hits against the rocks especially loud, he sees bombs exploding, soldiers dying. 

He wanted to help, he did. They didn't let him. Wanted him to stay here, alone. “Take care of the boats and ships out there, son”, they had said. “At least you won't get shot in the front”

Jeno wakes up five in the morning. It's still dark outside, the storm hasn't stopped yet but it has calmed down just a bit. Enough for him to stand up from his small bed and walk down into his kitchen. He makes himself a hot cup of black coffee and lights a cigarette to calm down. He waits like this, sitting on his couch, staring into the fire he's made in his oven. Until finally, it gets lighter outside. 

With strong boots and a thick coat he leaves the lighthouse and searches the sea for any passers-by. No ships, no boats, no nothing. Just waves. The wind pulls on Jeno's hair, but it is just as strong and thick as his coat and as black as the ocean's hidden crevices. He decides to go back and turn off the light. From up here he sees so much more of everything. 

The light hits the water, but still, no boats, no ships, no men. The light hits the shore to the right and Jeno is met with the view of seaweed and an old net ripped in half. 

He follows the light with his eyes as it hits the shore to his right. And then he freezes on the spot. A person. A child. Is it a child? There's red underneath, on the rough sand the person is lying on. Jeno doesn't hesitate. He sprints down the stairs and runs over the rough stones to the place he's spotted the child.

And as he arrives, he discovers that it's not a child, but a young man. He's bleeding, a long wound on his back. His lower body is still in the water, but he seems to be completely naked. Without hesitation, Jeno picks him up and hurriedly brings him to his lighthouse. 

As soon as he gets inside he lays him down on his couch, checking if he's still alive. Jeno feels himself breathe freely again when he sees his chest rising and falling. He searches his drawers for bandages and finds them in his bedroom, storming down the stairs again to take care of the strangers’ wound. He carefully cleans it with alcohol before wrapping his upper body up, covering the still bleeding wound. Then he covers him with a blanket and sits down on the floor next to the couch, his heart thundering in his chest. 

He observes the boy's face, his heartbeat slowly calming again. Black hair covers his eyes, so Jeno hesitantly lifts the longer strands with his fingers. He looks young. Younger than Jeno even. His features are soft, a small nose and delicate lips. He's pretty. 

_Pretty like a girl_ , Jeno thinks. His hair is longer in the back. There's… Mussel shells braided into some strands. Jeno has never seen someone like this before. He's so lost in his own thoughts that he doesn't realize how the boy in front of him opens his eyes slowly. 

He only realizes as his lips part and his eyes go wide, staring at him in shock. His eyes are black. So black that Jeno almost goes lost in them for a second. 

“Are-... Are you hungry..?”

No answer. 

Jenos voice sounds unstable, slightly shaking as he tries again.

“D-do you want to eat? Maybe something to… Drink? Water? Or tea?”

Still, the strange boy remains silent. 

They stare at each other for a few moments, before he finally nods. It's such a small movement, Jeno almost wasn't able to catch it. 

He stands up immediately and heats water up to make tea. Then, he pulls out his pan and makes two eggs with beans. A lot of beans. 

It takes him a while until he gets back to the boy, who is still laying on his couch, eyes filled with fear and mistrust. Jeno notices him shaking under the blanket. 

He curses the lack of communication skills he has, since he's never had friends in school. He never really needed to communicate in general. In the end, he was just a lonely lighthouse keeper, son of a lighthouse keeper, who was also the son of a lighthouse keeper and fisherman, who was-

“You don't need to be afraid of me”, he says quietly and watches the boy's reaction. He's still shaking. 

“I won't hurt you”, he tries again and it sounds grumpy in his own ears, his voice rough from the lack of usage. 

“Here is the food and… The tea” He places the plate and the cup on a wooden stool right in front of the boy and watches him with rising nervousness in his stomach. But the boy just looks at him with that… Look in his dark eyes, like he's trying to tell him he doesn't understand. 

Jeno clears his throat and stares at the plate, awkwardly playing with his hands. 

“Uh… Do I have to feed you?” And because the boy doesn't say a word or makes a move, he does instead, kneeling down on the floor. He takes the fork into his hand and cuts a small part from the egg, combines it with some beans and holds it to the boy's face. He sees him flinch a little, before looking at him. He doesn't trust him. 

So Jeno sighs and hesitantly eats it himself instead, watching the boy while he does. He seems to relax. 

Jeno goes in for the second bite and holds it to the boy's lips, who parts them slowly, tasting it with his tongue first before swallowing around the fork. 

It feels intimate for some reason and Jeno is almost uncomfortable with how he has to feed this badly wounded, naked and very pretty stranger on his couch, but he comes to almost like it when the boy gifts him a small smile. 

It feels like an accomplishment to Jeno. _I made him smile_ , he says to himself. _I did this._

After feeding him, Jeno gives him something to dress, but he quickly finds out that he doesn't know how to do that either. So he helps him, questions his own sanity while doing so, but he eventually lays him back down on the couch, carefully tucking the blanket back up. 

“You have to rest, so your wound heals faster”, he tells him and the boy just looks at him with his big, black eyes. 

“Sleep” He makes a gesture to show him what he means and the boy nods and closes his eyes. He looks peaceful now. And he doesn't seem to be in much pain either. Jeno works for the rest of the day and checks in the sleeping boy again before going to bed. It's dark outside, waves softly clashing against the rocks. 

The storm is gone. 

The second day of treating the stranger turns out to be harder than the first. Jeno has to help him to the toilet, has to change the bandages and finds out that the wound is still just as bad as yesterday, if not even worse. He has to make lots of food since he is hungrier than the day before. 

Jeno does his best, he really does. So when the day comes to an end, he sinks into his mattress, falling asleep as soon as his eyes close. 

After that, the days pass by. He never talks much, since he knows the boy won't understand him. But they do find a way of communicating with each other. The boy expresses himself with his facial expressions, while Jeno shows him with gestures. They get along fine. 

At least Jeno wants them to. The boy still doesn't seem to trust him and his condition worsens. The wound gets infected. Jeno knows he needs to take him to a doctor, but the lighthouse is miles away from actual land. It will take a while to get there by boat and the sea is not calm enough. 

He's frustrated with himself. 

“I'm trying my best… I'm trying my best, but it doesn't seem to work out. We will have to wait about a week or more until the water is calm enough. Then I can bring you to a doctor or a hospital and your wound will get treated like it has to be. I'm sorry for making you suffer” Jeno buries his face in his hands. He's sitting in front of the couch, the boy watching him attentively. 

Jeno doesn't look up or say anything else, but then he feels a cold hand touching his arm. 

When he looks up, he's staring right into those dark orbs. He seems too close to his face all of a sudden. 

“Ren…Jun” 

Jeno blinks in confusion. He said that. The boy said that. 

“Ren...Jun?”, he asks and the boy nods. 

“Renjun” He points at himself. “Renjun”

His voice sounds just like his appearance. Soft and quiet, yet full with pride. 

“Your name is Renjun… Your name is Renjun!” Jeno laughs in disbelief and it makes Renjun smile brightly. 

“Jeno”, he introduces himself and points at his chest just like Renjun did. 

“Jeno…”, he repeats softly and Jeno's stomach does a weird flip. 

Renjun looks at him for a few more seconds and suddenly reaches out to his face. He touches the mole under Jeno's eye and smiles. Then he says something in a language that Jeno can't understand. In fact, what he says doesn't even sound like words or phrases, it sounds like some kind of song, a poem so beautiful that Jeno doesn't need to understand a word to feel what Renjun is saying to him. 

It feels like he's talking about someone else that Jeno reminds him of. Maybe. Or someone Renjun has seen before. 

Jeno takes Renjun's cold hand from his cheek and swallows. “Are you still in pain?” He changes the topic in hopes of getting rid of that heavy feeling. He points at his own back. 

Renjun nods. He looks at the couch he's lying on and shakes his head. His eyes tell Jeno that he's not comfortable. Which makes sense, since his couch is not really the softest. He didn't have money to begin with, he just has whatever fell into his hands. In fact, his grandma gave him the couch. 

“You can stay in my bed instead. It's much softer and the pillows might help with your back”, he says and comes closer, showing Renjun that he wants to carry him. At first, he doesn't really understand and flinches in pain as Jeno carefully lifts him up, trying to avoid touching his wound. 

But then he relaxes in Jeno's arms. Renjun is so light, it makes Jeno wonder if it's just his own strength or if Renjun actually weighs so less. 

He easily brings him up the stairs to his bedroom, which is just big enough for the bed and a small drawer. 

He lays him down on the soft mattress and he swears he can hear the sigh that escapes Renjun’s lips. He tucks him into his blankets and watches as Renjun closes his eyes for a moment, before looking at him. The mistrust in his eyes is gone.

He looks at him with thankfulness instead. 

Jeno takes the couch this night. It's storming outside again, windows rattling, waves pushing against the lighthouse. He can't sleep. He can't even think about closing his eyes. Because all he sees when he does is Renjun. And he can't explain why. It feels like it's not meant to be that way, it feels like Jeno is not allowed to see his pretty face in his head. 

He finds himself thinking about him even more, how he touched his mole and his arm and the way he said his name so… Jeno presses his lips together and stands up, a cigarette might calm him down.

The storm is getting worse every time he looks outside the window. The rain is blurring the sight, but he still sees the massive waves of the sea, wild and untamed. It's almost like it's angry at Jeno, like it's trying to tell him it's a sin to think about the boy's touch and deep eyes. It might be a sin, but Jeno just can't help himself. 

He's helpless. 

Jeno wakes up to a noise from above him. It sounds like someone just fell out of the bed. Renjun. 

Jeno is up in no time, going up the stairs as fast as he can to see Renjun on the floor, his position cramped up like he's in pain, whimpering.

He picks him up as carefully as he possibly can, laying him back down on the bed. 

“What happened? Is it getting worse?”, he asks him and looks into his eyes. Fear. There's fear in his eyes. 

“Renjun… Can you-”

The boy grabs his shirt and pulls him closer, burying his face in his neck. He says something in his language, something that sounds like he's trying to apologize, but Jeno doesn't know what he means, he just stays like this, letting the boy underneath him whisper against his skin. 

He goes silent after a while, Jeno can still feel him breathe, but he's stopped talking. His hands are still holding onto his shirt. He wants him to stay. So he does. He stays in his bed, laying beside Renjun who slowly falls back asleep. 

When Jeno changes the bandages the next day, the infection seems to have healed. The wound is looking way better than the days before. And the storm outside is still going strong, but it has stopped raining completely. 

When Jeno wants to go outside, Renjun holds him back by grabbing the hem of his shirt just like the night before. “Jeno”, he says and Jeno understands. 

When they eat for lunch, Renjun is able to sit up on the couch for the first time. The fear in his eyes is gone, a smile on his lips ever so sweet.

Jeno forgets what it was like when he was alone. He forgets the war, forgets the countless cigarettes he used to smoke, forgets the land he used to live on. There's only the ocean, his lighthouse and Renjun, whose wound is healing faster everyday. They silently understand each other by now. They share a bed, a kitchen, a couch, even clothes. 

But this perfect little world shatters as soon as their food rations come to an end. 

“I need to buy food in the village. And it might take me a whole day, so I won't be able to cook or take care of you”, he says and he knows Renjun understands, because he nods and takes Jeno's hand. He often does that. 

“I'll go in an hour” They're currently both sitting on the couch, digesting the early breakfast they just had. Jeno sighs and leans his head back, closing his eyes. 

Renjun is still holding his hand. His fingers are small, cold and soft in comparison to Jeno's. His hands are rough from work, have multiple scars that painted his childhood. He feels how Renjun touches them carefully, like he's afraid they still hurt. Then he touches the back of his hand, following his veins. He plays with his fingers, almost caressing every single one of them until Jeno suddenly feels something wet and soft against his fingertips. He opens his eyes and finds out that it's Renjun's lips touching them, he's whispering something in-between his soft, light kisses. Jeno's stomach churns. His cheeks feel too hot all of a sudden, but he doesn't stop him, he just watches with his heart beating fast. 

Renjun stops kissing them and places Jeno's hand on his chest. His heart. Jeno can feel it under his fingers, it's beating just as fast as his own. Before Jeno can process what just happened, Renjun lets go of his hand and looks at him. 

“Jeno”, he says shyly and Jeno understands. 

He leaves an hour later like he planned to. The wind is strong, fighting to push Jeno down from the rocks into the water. The waves don't seem too bad, but Jeno knows he'll have to be fast. 

Renjun follows him to the boat, wearing one of Jeno's coats. He seems different out here, his body restless, eyes searching for something out there on the sea. He's nervous. 

And Jeno doesn't understand why, thinks it might be because of his wound and because he's now afraid of the sea, but he doesn't turn back to go inside, he stays by Jenos side, waiting until he leaves. Then suddenly, everything goes silent. 

It sounds like everything just stopped. Jeno turns to Renjun, but as he does, he finds him shaking. And then he hears them. And they make his ears ring. They sound so far and yet so near. 

  
  
  


_Come back home_

_Come back home_

_Leave the place that's made of stone_

_Shine just like you once have shone_

_Come back home_

_Come back home_

_Watch as we rise from the sea foam_

_Searching for you, our prince that is gone_

_Come back home_

_Come back home_

_Claim what's been yours, fill the throne_

_Listen to us as we moan_

_Come back home_

_Come back home_

  
  
  
  


Creatures of the sea singing. Sirens searching for their lost brother. They're calling for Renjun. 

The calling stops after a while, the beautiful melody mixing with the sound of the water again until they vanish. Renjun's eyes have stopped searching the sea but are now on Jeno, a sad smile on his pretty lips. Jeno is speechless. He has heard tales of merpeople before, but he has never seen one. Or heard them. Everything he just experienced makes him feel dizzy and the way Renjun looks at him doesn't make it any better.

“I… I have to leave or else I won't be able to come back before the sundown. Make sure to stay inside and stay safe. Take care”, he says, deciding to ignore the incident just in case he might be going insane. He gets on the boat.

“Jeno”, he hears Renjun say, but this time he doesn't want to understand. 

Being on land turns out to be refreshing. He gets greeted by some people, others give him dirty looks, but he doesn't mind. He's a loner, always has been. 

He stops by the market and buys everything he needs. To his surprise, a girl his age works on one of the stands, asking Jeno if he would like to go out with her some time. Jeno declines. It just doesn't feel right and he doesn't have time for girls either. His dream to be a father in the feature can wait, he supposes. He's still young after all. 

When he gets back to the boat with everything he has bought, the waves are higher than before. “Don't tell me you're going to cross now, my boy. The weather is too rough. Stay the night and leave in the morning”, a sailor tells Jeno at the pipe. 

Jeno almost considers doing so, but then he remembers the boy waiting for him at home. 

“I can't. I have to get back tonight”

“It's too dangerous, son”, he warns him. “Alone in such a small boat… You're going to get yourself killed” 

But Jeno doesn't listen, hopping into the boat and loosening the tie to sail. 

“Are you insane? The waves are too big, listen to me!”

It's too late. Jeno is already on his way back to Renjun and he swears those waves are not going to stop him. 

And to his luck, he gets back fine. He's completely wet and freezing, but it's worth it. It's almost exciting to be back here, his heart doing this weird thing again when he opens the door. “I'm home!”

He goes into the kitchen, peeking into the living room. It's empty. “Renjun?” With rising anxiety he places the food on the kitchen floor and heads upstairs to his room. His bed is unmade, no one here. Everything is so… Cold and empty. 

“Renjun?”, he yells again, this time louder and he wishes he would hear a “Jeno” and Renjun would show up to smile at him and hold his hand. 

He feels so empty. So empty, so lonely. “Renjun!” He heads upstairs again, searching every floor until he reaches the top. The light is almost blinding him as he steps out. From up here he sees everything. The shore of this tiny island. The black rocks. The endless sea. But Renjun is nowhere to be seen. Everything cold. Everything so lonely. 

Jeno's heart is racing as he goes down the metal stairs and searches everywhere again, calling out Renjun's name but he knows he won't answer him back. He finds the bandages on the couch. He knows he's gone. He knows he went back home to his people. 

He cries himself to sleep that night, because he's angry and frustrated and sad. And lonely. His chest feels hollow, a feeling he has never had before, something is aching in him. 

The sheets still smell like Renjun. 

  
  
  


A week passes. Two weeks. Maybe a month, but all Jeno has in mind is the boy from the sea that he treated until he healed. The boy from the sea he saved and befriended. The boy he loved. And still does. Love is a strong word, Jeno knows it is. But it's a word Jeno never understood. Maybe he still doesn't, but when he tries to put his feelings into words, the only thing that makes sense to him is love. 

He's waiting for the boy to come back everyday, to just send him a sign or show up in the water. He's waiting for something. 

_“I'm dreaming of a white Christmas_

_Just like the ones I used to know”_

The air is warm, it smells like cigarette smoke and ginger bread. The candles on the small, small tree Jeno had bought are lit, the fire in his oven crackling quietly. 

_“Where the treetops glisten and children listen_

_To hear sleigh bells in the snow”_

He spends Christmas alone this year. His family invited him but he told them he was too busy. He honestly did not even have a reason to decline. Maybe it was the tiny bit of hope left in his heart. That Renjun would come back for him soon. 

Jeno can't fall asleep. It's storming outside. The sea comes with crashing waves, some so high they almost reach the window. Jeno knows he's safe. The sea won't hurt him. But something just feels different tonight. 

He wakes up five in the morning and makes himself a hot cup of black coffee. He waits like this everyday, sitting on his couch, staring into the fire he's made in his oven. Until finally, it gets lighter outside. The storm had calmed down, but he still wears strong boots and a thick coat when he leaves the lighthouse and searches the sea for any passers-by. No ships, no boats, no nothing. Just waves. He decides to take the metal stairs up for a better view. From up here he sees so much more. 

Jeno glances down, searching the shore for anything unusual when he suddenly spots a person in the water. Jeno's heartbeat begins to rise rapidly. He sprints down the stairs as fast as he can, almost tripping over the stones as he runs towards the spot. When he finally reaches it, there's a boy staring up at him, half of his body covered by the water. He looks just like when he left. Only with a completely healed back now and a bright smile on his lips. 

And as Jeno's gaze stops at his legs, he almost stumbles back. There are no legs. Instead, there's a long, shimmering fish tail attached to him. But as Renjun notices his shock, he pulls himself out of the water completely, his fish tail transforming into the legs Jeno was used to. Well, the naked version of them. 

Jeno doesn't really know what to say or how to react, but Renjun keeps smiling at him. “D-do you want to… Come inside?”, he asks him and swallows, his heart aching at the thought of having him back in his little home. 

Renjun nods and Jeno reaches his hand out. The other takes it and stands up. Jeno blushes and looks at his own feet. As soon as they get inside, Jeno gives him a blanket to warm and cover up. They sit in silence for while, Renjun on the couch and Jeno on the stool. 

But then Renjun begins to speak. Jeno still can't understand a word, but he feels the emotions and the longing in his soothing voice, he knows what he's trying to tell him. 

“I missed you too”, he whispers and Renjun takes his hand. “I thought about you everyday”

Renjun smiles softly and places a kiss on his fingers. 

“Jeno”, he says and Jeno understands. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This story was so much fun to write!  
> For anyone who might be wondering... It was Jeno centric so I purposely didn't include Renjuns feelings or any translations of what he said to Jeno.  
> If you're interested tho... I might write a part 2. 
> 
> Thx for reading!


End file.
